Buying Guides

With so many football training products on the market today, it can be overwhelming to know what the essential products are for your training sessions. Let’s take a look at the key items of football training equipment any team will need.

Bibs

Without a set of mesh training bibs, it will be impossible to tell one team from the other during your football training sessions. These bibs come in a wide selection of colours and are available in youth and adult sizes to fit your needs. Purchase a couple of sets so that everyone in your squad can be split into teams during training.

Cones and Markers 

When it comes to choosing football training equipment, you also want to think about providing your team with a good setup for skills and fitness training. Cones and markers can help you to transform any playing field into an obstacle course for your team to improve their agility, speed, and overall fitness levels. You’ll be able to devise new and exciting courses to keep your team on their toes during each training session.

Footballs

Of course, no football training session would be complete without a collection of footballs to play with. You’ll find a wide selection of footballs on the market today, so you’ll need to decide which option is the best for your training sessions. Consider also purchasing a ball sack to store your footballs, which will make carrying them to and from the field or training hall much easier.

Goals

If you aren’t training somewhere with a permanent set of football goals, you’ll need to invest in this important piece of football training equipment. Goals are available in a wide range of sizes, and you’ll need to select the one that’s most appropriate for the format of your games. You’ll find there are some great pop-up options today, which are ideal for anyone moving around between different locations for training sessions.

Mannequins

Mannequins have a wide range of uses for football training sessions, and they are ideal for use with junior players. You can set them up for your free kick training, dribbling exercises, goalkeeper training, or player positioning exercises. Mannequins are extremely durable, so you won’t have to worry about them getting damaged during your sessions. Most of them come with steel spikes on the base, so they can easily be set into the grass. If you are training on astro turf or hard surfaces, you can also add on a rubber base, which will keep them standing up straight on the flat ground. Choose a set with a carrying bag if you are travelling around for football training.

With all of these pieces of football training equipment listed above, you’ll be all set for your next training session. Regardless of the age of your players and the surface you are training on, you’ll find these tools will help encourage your players to develop their skills and improve their fitness levels during each session.

One of the questions our team is regularly asked is, what type of football should I buy for my club? With so many options available to teams today, it’s an understandable question. Here we’re going to look at the most popular soccer balls to help you decide which ones would be most suitable for your training sessions.

Training Balls

Training balls are known for their durability and are ideal for daily or regular use. You can use these footballs all the time without having to worry about them getting scuffed up or damaged. A good set of training balls will see you through multiple months or years of training, and they are designed to improve your team’s confidence and skill set. Most training balls are created for use in all weather conditions, and you’ll also find them available in a range of sizes to suit your players’ needs.

Match Balls

When it comes to playing matches, you’ll want to bring out your match balls for this special occasion. These balls are built to offer players good control and accuracy, but you won’t want to use them every day, or they won’t last too long. As with training soccer balls, you’ll find these available in a selection of sizes and designs to suit your requirements. Try to select a coloured ball that matches your team colours for a little more professionalism this year.

Indoor Balls

If you train indoors during the winter months or all year round, you’ll want to invest in a separate set of indoor balls that are designed specifically for this use. This type of football is ideal for use in schools or sports halls. They can be used on any form of indoor surface, including laminated surfaces. You won’t have to worry about damaging the floor you are playing on when you invest in indoor soccer balls, and they can be used for both matches and training sessions.

Futsal Balls

For anyone that’s not familiar with futsal, it’s a type of football game that’s played on a hard court that is a little smaller than a typical football pitch. This game is mostly played indoors and has some similarities to five-a-side football. For this game, you’ll want to purchase futsal balls, which are designed with the hard court in mind. A futsal ball is a low-bounce ball that’s a little smaller in size than regular soccer balls. They can be used to develop your football skills and offer good precision for players.

After investing in a set of footballs for your team, make sure you also buy a ball sack to help you carry the soccer balls to and from training with ease. Most clubs opt to buy a selection of these balls listed above to fit their training needs throughout the year. Our site offers footballs for players of all ages and all formats of matches, so you can be sure you’ll find something to suit your needs this year.

Football goal posts come in all shapes and sizes today. Depending on the game format you are using, you’ll want to make sure you select the right size to fit your team’s needs.

5v5 Football Goals

If you are setting your team up to play 5v5 matches, we recommend going for a 12' x 4' for your senior team. 12' x 6' goals are often used by younger players, such as your under 7’s and under 8’s. These goals can be placed on astro turf, grass, or indoor pitches and are ideal for use all year round when training with your team.

57v7 Football Goals

7-a-side football is popular in mini-soccer leagues and can be used by players across a wide range of ages. You’ll find that the most popular option is the 12' x 6' goal, which is often used by under 9’s and 10’s for matches and training sessions as per the FA guidelines. This size of goal can also be used by senior players on artificial pitches for 7v7 matches.

9v9 Football Goals

9v9 football is often associated with under 11’s and under 12’s, and the FA recommend these players use a 16' x 7' goal. You can use these goals on artificial pitches, and you’ll find this to be a very sturdy product for your youth or junior games. Even when you are selecting a larger goal, you’ll find this to be a lightweight and portable option that you can use in all weather conditions. The full locking system ensures you and your players are safe when using these goals for training sessions or matches.

Training Goals for Younger Players

If you are just looking for a goal for training in your garden or with your youngest players, you’ll find our 5' x 4' goal and 8' x 4' goal to be a good option. These could also be used for 5v5 matches with smaller children and are ideal for any keen players who want to set up a football pitch with limited space in their garden.

Futsal Goals

Futsal matches demand a different type of goal, which is 3m x 2m in size. This is the regulation size goal for futsal matches but can also be used as a smaller football goal in gardens or fields with limited space. You’ll find the goal has a locking system that ensures it’s safe and secure for players of all ages. The goal can be put up and down in just minutes, so it is ideal for use in multipurpose school sports halls.

11v11 Goals

For adult football matches, it’s recommended you use a 24’ x 8’ goal. However, we understand that for training, many facilities don’t have the space for this type of goal. By choosing one of the larger goals in our collection, you’ll find an option that’s suitable for your team’s training sessions this year.

Selecting the right goal size for the age group you are training with can help to give them the best experience during your football training sessions. All of our goals are made of the highest quality materials and are ideal for use all year round regardless of the weather conditions you are playing in.

When it comes to choosing the correct basketball for any player, there are two main considerations; the ball size and the playing surface the basketball will be used on.

Ball Size

Size 7: Official Basketballs

Official size 7 basketballs have a standard weight of 22oz and measure 29.5" in circumference. This size of basketball is used by most men's professional associations and basketball leagues. 

Size 6: Intermediate Basketballs

Intermediate size 6 basketballs have a standard weight of 20oz and measure 28.5" in circumference. The slightly smaller ball is ideal for players with smaller hand spans. A popular ball size used for most women's professional leagues and associations. Recommended for youth players aged 12 and up.

Size 5: Youth Basketballs

The size 5 ball is used for youth players aged 8-11 and has a general weight of between 14-16oz and a circumference of between 27.75"-27.75".

Size 4: Kids Basketballs

The kids size 4 basketball is ideal for kids aged 4-8. The light-weight ball weighting in at only 14oz and a smaller circumference for 25.5", make this balls a perfect fit for young hands.

Size 3: Mini Basketballs

The smallest size 3 basketball comes in at a mini 10oz weight and measures 22" in circumference. Perfect for the youngest of players or the ideal gift for the basketball fan in the house.

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INDOOR Vs OUTDOOR BASKETBALLS  

It's not just the size of ball you need to consider when purchasing your new basketball, where you are playing will have a factor too. All basketballs are constructed in many different ways, however the biggest factor when making your decision will be ball material.

Basketballs are made from 3 main materials; leather, composite/synthetic and rubber.

Leather

100% leather balls are the softest of the 3 materials and are used in the indoor professional game. These balls get softer over time and are generally the most expensive in any range.

Composite/Synthetic

The composite/synthetic balls are made from a leather like material which in most occasions reduces the overall cost. They are a more robust basketball and can be used on both indoor and outdoor courts.

Rubber

The more rugged rubber basketballs are the outdoor street basketball specialist. Made from a tough and durable material they offer great grip and bounce, even in the wettest of conditions. A great companion of the beginner player.